Broke bed and made threats

A Portadown man who attacked his niece was jailed for a total of four months last Wednesday at Craigavon Magistrates Court.

He was 64-yearold James Boyd, Mourneview Street, Portadown, and he admitted assault and criminal damage on October 15 and disorderly behaviour on June 26 last year.

For the disorderly behaviour he was jailed for one month and for the other two offences three-months term, concurrent with each other but consecutive to the first sentence, were imposed.

He was also ordered to pay a £25 offender’s levy.

The court heard that on October 5 at 1.40pm police were called to an address in Portadown concerning a domestic incident.

The injured party was outside the property. She was upset and said her uncle had assaulted her. He had broken a bed in the house and made threats to her. There was a cut to her chin.

Boyd admitted he was drunk during the incident and could not remember exactly what happened.

On June 26 a witness told the police of seeing a man in Bridge Street. He was walking on the road and shaking his fists at oncoming vehicles.

He started following a female and was shouting and waving his fists at her. She said “get away from me” but he continued to shout and wave his fists.

He followed her and a witness heard him make derogatory comments to her.

A solicitor for Boyd said it was a very sad case. The defendant was a chronic alcoholic and had a considerable record which was all related to incidents involving drinking. Suspended sentences had been put into force previously and he had been released from prison in April 2013.

He explained that Boyd agreed his behaviour on June 26 was totally unacceptable. The defendant was a gentleman when sober but when he took drink his personality changed.

The solicitor added that on October 5 Boyd had gone round to his niece looking for money for alcohol.

He told the court there had been a good relationship between them but this had ended and there was now a non-molestation order in place.

He added that there was someone who was helping Boyd now with his moniey so he did not have any to spend on alcohol.

District Judge, Mr Mervyn Bates, said the pre-sentence report made sad reading and that Boyd had assaulted someone who had been kind to him.